LABR 606 - Labor Studies Field Work/Internship (3 Credits)

Prerequisite: None
Students in this course will combine a 16-week internship at a labor union or labor-related organization with readings on and analysis of the U.S. labor movement in a contemporary national and global context. In eight two-hour class meetings, students will reflect on their internships, comparing their experiences with those of other students and discussing them in relation to course readings on selected labor issues. In addition to union structure and governance, these issues will include union jurisdiction and industry analysis; organizing and collective bargaining; union democracy and rank-and-file participation; demographics of leadership and membership; dynamics of class and power relations; diversity and multiculturalism; the effects of globalization on work and workers; and alternative paradigms for worker organization. Through the combination of field work and scholarly analysis, students will explore the relationship between theory and practice and will acquire multiple perspectives on union structure, practice and principles as well as on a broad range of union activities.